The ABCs of Love
by FairytalesOfForever
Summary: A one-shot of twenty-six Hiccstrid vignettes, one for each letter of the alphabet. From Race to the Edge to post-HTTYD 2, cuteness and fluff abound!


**A/N: I was inspired to write this by a similar story from a different fandom. Enjoy the fluff- this was really fun to write!**

Armor  
Astrid's was metal. Hiccup's was sarcasm. It wasn't all bad, of course; it was part of who they were. But sometimes, when they were together, the barriers would fall. The armor would come off. And, often, they would find out that they loved each other even more that way.

Blush  
It was surprisingly difficult to make Hiccup blush, but then, Astrid liked a challenge. It didn't hurt that she also thought he was cute with his ears burning scarlet like that. Sometimes, she wanted to tangle her fingers in his hair and kiss him mercilessly until he had no choice.  
Hiccup thought Astrid was gorgeous when she was blushing- maybe even more than usual. A light rose would spread across her cheeks and she would give him that shy smile that was so rare, but so beautiful.

Cute Habits  
Hiccup had so many. They way he talked with his hands, pinched the bridge of his nose when he was annoyed, rubbed his neck when he was embarrassed, stroked an imaginary beard when he was thinking, and made that pouty face that he never realized he was making- it was enough to give Astrid concentration issues.  
Hiccup thought of Astrid less as cute and more as beautiful, but she did have a few. She would tuck her hair behind her ear when she was feeling shy, or rub her arm when she was nervous. These, as anyone who knew Astrid would know, were rare moments, and he cherished them accordingly.

Dancing  
Astrid was actually a pretty good dancer, between the training from her mother and her natural athletic abilities. Hiccup, on the other hand, was not very coordinated with two legs, let alone the one. "At least no one can ever make 'two left feet' jokes", he would laugh. "I don't even have one!"  
However, over a year or two of sparring with Astrid and escaping from various villains, he'd become surprisingly agile. Their favorite kind of dancing, though, was when they were alone in the dark, swaying and spinning and holding each other close, when whether they were good at it or not mattered the least in the world.

Everything Else  
Astrid still did the punch/kiss thing, sometimes. Hiccup had never known how satisfying it could be to hear four words, but maybe the kiss had something to do with it.  
Scratch that, the kiss had everything to do with it.

Flirting  
Oh, they did it, and they were good at it too- maybe a little too good for Snotlout's liking. Since when did Hiccup's voice get that smooth? It seemed he could turn his natural talent for sarcastic comments to making compliments that were this close to making even the toughest of girls swoon. And Astrid- whenever he was around, the girl would swing her hips like nobody's business. Where did they learn how to do that?

Gifts  
Hiccup would always come up with something inventive. A drawing, maybe, or some new invention that was tailored to her needs. Once, he carved a little model of Stormfly out of wood, and it was so lifelike, Astrid was surprised that it didn't try to fly away. She did finally figure out what to give Hiccup; one thing she learned about him was that 'stuff' didn't really matter. He would much rather she plan a picnic in the cove, or a moonlit flight together.

Hands  
Hiccup's were soft and warm, with calluses on all of his fingers from working in the forge. Those fingers were long and nimble, perfect for twining with hers when Astrid couldn't think of the right words. Her own hands were small and rough, usually wrapped in some kind of leather strips to help her grip things. They were also, as Hiccup knew well, surprisingly strong, much like Astrid herself. And, like Astrid, they could also be gentle if need be- playing with locks of messy hair, or covering Hiccup with a blanket when he fell asleep at his desk again.

I Love You  
Of course Hiccup said it first. He was always the one who had a way with words. And Astrid- oh, it made her feel so stupid- was so busy melting inside that she didn't say it back.  
She did finally say it, of course. It wasn't an eloquent speech- it was never going to be one, that was Hiccup's thing. It exploded out of her when she finally figured out how to express everything he made her feel, when it all bubbled up inside her and discovered it could take the form of words.

Just Be With Me  
Sometimes it seemed like Hiccup wasn't all the way there, like his mind was still exploring the farthest limits of the archipelago. Sometimes, he was so wrapped up in what he had to do that he forgot what he really needed to do. Those were the moments where Astrid had to take him into her arms and tell him to stop, to at least slow down; to just be with her.  
Hiccup admitted that he could try too hard, that he could go too fast for too long. He would also be the first to say that those stolen moments where they let the world fall away were some of his favorites of all.

Kiss  
He had that smile on his face, that lopsided, tender smile that was far too persuasive.  
She had that glow in her eyes, like pieces of the sky at noon had been placed in her beautiful face.  
His arms were wrapped around her, and her hands rested against his chest.  
He smelled like wind and clouds.  
Her lips tasted of sea spray.

Learning  
After being best friends for years, it was astonishing how much they found they still had to learn about each other. Hiccup discovered a softer side to Astrid that he'd had only the barest glimpses of before, and Astrid found out that Hiccup still had some insecurities he never let show. Through admiring and supporting each other, they learned more and more about each other, and the more they learned, the more there was to love.

Milady  
Neither Hiccup nor Astrid was sure where this nickname came from. It slipped off his tongue smoothly, carelessly; she found that she liked it. It overflowed with that special tone in his voice that was reserved only for her, the one that made strong, tough Astrid Hofferson melt a little inside. She liked the way it sounded, a confirmation that she was his, and so 'Milady' she became.

Never Give Up On You  
Whenever Hiccup had a duty, all sense was abandoned to fulfill it beyond what was necessary. Whenever someone Astrid loved was harmed, she blamed herself, then hungered after revenge. They had their flaws, but growing to understand these flaws and support each other through them only made the relationship stronger. Besides, sometimes Hiccup would plant a gentle kiss on Astrid's forehead, and even though she was angry and he exhausted, it was all okay for a little while.

Oceans  
They were everywhere, in a physical sense, since Berk was an island—kind of unavoidable. Both Hiccup and Astrid had almost drowned at least once, and each time, the other was there to pull them out and beg for them to breathe. But metaphorical oceans were all around them too. Sometimes Hiccup would be so swamped with responsibilities and insecurity that he couldn't break through to the surface. Sometimes Astrid was drowning in all the things that she thought she was, and the things she was supposed to be. But there was always a hand reaching into the deep, twining their fingers together and pulling them out. And every time, as soon as the head of the rescued broke the surface, they would find themselves awash in an ocean of love.

Promises  
Maybe, someday. That was how they left things. Maybe, someday, the time would be right for them to get together. That someday came along, as did many after it, but the greatest "someday" of all hung between them still. It was more of a hope, an unspoken promise that the time would come. There were days when that was enough. But sometimes Hiccup would wish he was braver. Sometimes Astrid would wonder how long the word "Yes" was going to hover on her tongue. Sometimes they would look at her hand and wonder how it would look bearing his ring. Sometimes, they would wonder when that someday would come.

Questions  
The men and women of Berk really couldn't help themselves. Tough Vikings they may have been, but they couldn't resist a little bit of gossip about the young heir to the island.  
First it was, "When are you two going to get together already?"  
Then, "Where have they gone to this time?"  
In a falsely casual tone, "So, what've you and Astrid been up to lately?"  
A lot of, "Why did it take so long?"  
And, from Snotlout, "Why?!"  
There was one question, however, that Astrid was still waiting for. One Hiccup had to ask.  
The question he was currently asking himself, though, was: Why am I waiting?

Rest In Peace  
The arrow drew a fiery path through the sky as it dove to the ship in its graceful arc. Through Astrid's teary eyes, it looked like a red smear passing under a sheet of ice. She blinked her tears away and, raising her own bow, let her arrow fly. It, miraculously, struck true. She wanted to go to Hiccup, to comfort him, but he stepped out in front of them all with a leader's set to his jaw and the look of a chief in his eyes. Astrid, born to be a warrior, could not fight this battle for him.

Silence  
Except for the sound of their heartbeats, steady as the world rebuilt itself around them.  
Except for the sound of his tears, falling one by one through the cracks in the floor.  
Except for the sound of her breath, ruffling his hair as he held her like a lifeline.

True Love  
Was it? Well, they thought it was. True love meant putting one another's needs above your own. True love meant being ready to fight for them, die for them even. True love meant fighting through every war together. True love meant surviving every storm together.  
Did true love mean quick kisses in the dark too? Or whispered conversations late at night when they only fell deeper in love?  
Well, if true love was what they had... then yes, it did.

Unbeatable  
Goodness knows Astrid was closer to being that. She'd been training to fight since before she could walk. But Hiccup had seen her impulsive bravery be her weakness. He had seen illness strike her to places that no foe had yet done.  
Surely, Hiccup was closer. Astrid knew that his sense of responsibility, his tendency to overwork himself- they could be his fatal flaws. But Hiccup had evaded death more times than anyone else she knew, and even with everything he went through, he only seemed tog row stronger.  
So were they unbeatable? Maybe not.  
But together, they came close.

Vivid Dreams  
Or nightmares. They happened- to Hiccup more often. With everything they had gone through, together and otherwise, well... it was bound to leave a lasting impression.  
Hiccup's nightmares were of dragons when he was little, then the battle with the Red Death. The latter usually coincided with his phantom pains, midnight horrors that he was happy to leave in his past. Recently, they'd been of his father's death.  
Astrid's were usually of her parents' house burning down, or of herself being helpless to save those she loved.  
However, sometimes they had very pleasant dreams. These usually involved each other.  
These, they didn't tell anyone about.

Wishes  
Hiccup wished that he could understand what he'd done to earn her.  
Astrid wished that he could see that he fully deserved her.  
Hiccup wished that he could make some of his other wishes happen.  
Astrid wished that she could figure out what to say.  
Astrid wished that he would ask her if she wanted him forever.  
Hiccup wished that he knew how.

X Marks The Spot  
Hiccup had traveled many difficult roads in his life. Heck, at one point, the easiest of hiking trails left him out of breath. He'd followed all sorts of obscure trails and run up mountain roads.  
Even with all that, he was finding the path to Astrid's heart to be the hardest. He had a feeling that he was getting close to the treasure, the "X marks the spot", but how to get there... The last few steps would be the hardest of all.

Yes, You Idiot!  
Those words had been waiting inside of Astrid for too long. They seemed so excited to escape, their momentum propelled her forwards, and she squeezed him tight enough to rival Stoick himself with their lips locked.  
She pulled back long enough to punch him and say "That's for not asking me sooner" before diving in again.  
It was like, she mused, visiting an island paradise to discover that you could, in fact, stay there forever.

Zero Gravity  
Flying.  
That was how it began, wasn't it?  
Except now, they flew through the sunset in tandem, dragon wings brushing, as they drew shapes in the clouds.  
Sometimes, Toothless would fly in a loop-de-loop around Astrid and Stormfly, and an upside-down Hiccup would magically appear just in front of her. She'd lean in for the ultimate midair kiss before pulling Stormfly into a dive. Hiccup would laugh, or maybe she would laugh; they would talk and they would smile. They flew, their armor and oceans and dancing and everything that was uniquely them making their love blossom for all to see. 


End file.
